Method of coating leather with fabric.



P. J. GLBAsoN. METHOD OF COA'IING LEATHER WITH FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 1907.

UNITED srArEs PATENT OFFICE..

FREDERICK J .IGLEASOI 'OF WALPOLE MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MASSACHUSETTS CHEMICAL COMTANY, OF WALPOL'E, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAIN-E.

Hamon-or COATINGLEATHER lwma FABRIC.

` Application led July 27, 1907. Serial No. 386,861.

spcification of Letters Patent.

rPatented Maly 11, 1909.

. and State o gMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful ,Improvements yin Methods of Coating Leather with Fabric, of which lthefollovving is a specification.

This invention' 'has relation, generally speaking, to the manufacture lof various articles in which a cement containing rubber or rubber com ounds is employed tosecure fabric to leat er.A

The object of the presentinvention is to provide a process bymeans of Whichsuch cement may berendered 'highly adhesive after it has once become'dry and substantially non adhesive, y and a cement-coated fabric may be caused to adhere firmly to a surface of leather. It has already been proposed to accomplish this by the agency of ieat either by passing articles coated With such cement over a` heated surface, orvby passing them through a heated substance such as Water. Either method of reducing the cement to an adhesive state has inherent faults. Where the material is passed over a heated surface and the cement is softenedh or rendered adhesive by the heat, it radiates heat rapidly, andy unless the material is quickly manipulated or used, it becomes useless or else must be reheated. lOn the other hand, Where the-material is passed through a heated liquid bath, the cement is coated more or less with moisture which prevents its adhering satisfactorily when the article is manipulated or used for the purposes for which 1t is desired. For instance in the manufacture of inner soles of the Gremsole, -it is customary to spread upon the face of the fabric, a layer .'or coating of a cement containing rubber, gutta percha, or some other compound of the caoutchouc family,-

valve from an initial receiving tank c;

upon thel caoutchouc to soften it and render it extremely sticky or adhesive without however exerting any vulcanizing action. Preferably a solvent is used which possesses .the described characteristics in its action uponrubber When it is at the normal atmospieric temperature. I find that I can secure the best results by employing as a solvent, tetrachlorid of carbon which, not being iniiammable, may be. used with safety in factories, may be obtained in commercial quantities at a relatively slightexpensemay behandled Without danger to the operatives,

and being free fromthe vulcanizing effect characteristic of carbon disuliid or sulfur.

chlorid yields muchI better results.` Such solventsas carbon disulfid or sulfur chlorid, being capable of exerting a vulcanizing action, do not render the previously dried rubber film sufiiciently tacky, or permit it to remain in such condition for a suiiicient eriod. Furthermore such compoundsgive a looming effect due to the separatlon of sulfur which interferes seriously with the adhesion. Carbon tetrachlori'd and equivalent solvents possess the additional advantage for securing fabric to leather that rubber solutionsin such solvents permeate the leather with extremeY readiness and thereb produce a firmer and more stable bond t an is obtainable from rubber rendered tacky by heat.

On the accompanying drawing have illustrated a manner of carrying out my process in the manufacture of so called rubber goods, or in the manufacture of Gem inner soles.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, a indicates a tank for containing the solvent Which is supplied thereto through a fjlrat a matter of convenience, the pi e b Which leads from the tank c, is provide lWith a stop cock b2, and leading from the bottom of the tank a is a drip cock d. The cover e of the tank a is illustrated as luted to prevent evaporation of the solvent therein contained. ""vvithin the tank I place two idler rolls Which are indicated at ff. These not being in contact With the solvent, may be made of any suitable material such as Wood, steel, brass or the like, although I preferably employ brass,in their manufacture. Between the idlers and partially immersed in the solvent is the applying roll g. This roll is made of a" material which is not attacked by the solvent, the material which I employ 'being gelatin. .i l

h represents a reel upon which iswou'nd a ,layer of fabric t which may be of the nature of canvas, duck, drilling or any other material which is initially coated or covered With aklayer of rubber, gutta ercha, or any compound containing rub er. rIhe layer is drawn through apertures into the tank and `is assed under the rolls ffL and over the rol g, passing from the tank through an aperture j. From the tank a, the strip is drawn by hand to a suitable bench Where the fabric is mani ulated, and Where it is attached to the ace of an innersole. As the fabric is drawn through the tank, the roll g is rotated by its engagement with the periphery thereof, and carries into cantact with the coating ongthe fabric, a suitable quantity of the solvent to -render the sanchighly adhesive or sticky. Though I have described the.4

' I have stated that I em loy as a solvent,

' tetrachlorid of carbon. y

may combine with it, more or less of other I ave found that I solvents such as benzol, its homologues or derivatives, turpentine, petroleum-naphtha or other hydrocarbon solvents, and Where the proportions of the added ingredients are not too great, the tetrachlorid of carbon renders the Y compound substantially inflammable.

One ofthe advantages Which result from the .l

employment of a solvent such as set forth in rendering rubber or rubber com ounds adhesive, is that 4the fabric may e initially coated With less trouble and less expense than heretofore for the reason that but one coat may be applied Which need not be cured, but Which may have a temporary' facing of talc or the like which is Washed oif by the solvent When the fabric is subsequently ren-f' dered adhesive, .Thus .the coating itsel' may bethicker and more adhesive than at` resent.

W hat I claim is 1. The herein described method of coating leatherwith fabric, Which consists in providing the fabric with a coating of rubber or rubber compound, then subjecting said coatingr to the action of a rubbersolvent free from sulfur, and finally uniting the fabric to the leather.

2. The herein described method of coating leather With fabric, which consists in providing the fabric with a coating of rubber or rubber compound, then subjectingI said coatingto the action of carbon tetrachlorid, and` finally unitingthe-fabric to the leather.

' In testimony whereof I have allxed my.

signature, in presence of tWo witnesses.

vFREDERICK J. GLEASON.

l'lf'ltnes'ses:

CHARLEs H. SMITH, vKENNETH R. ELWELL. 

